2018 Sustainability Report
About this Report Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is committed to sustainable operations by reducing our impact in a number of areas in our business. We do this not only because legislation requires it, but also because it is the right thing to do. For the second year, our sustainability report has been created in collaboration with our community partner, Sustainable Hamilton Burlington. It highlights the actions and performances of the 2018 calendar year while using 2016 as our baseline-reporting year. This report is a snapshot of our larger Corporate Environmental Sustainability Plan; based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards of excellence in sustainability reporting – the generally accepted framework worldwide. In the context of this report, we use the term “sustainability” in a broad sense; to denote the intersection of environmental responsibility, social commitment and financial stability. This is where demands placed on the environment can be met without reducing the ability of future generations to live well and meet their needs.
Environmental Reporting and Compliance HHS regularly tracks, measures and reports on a number of environmental impacts in an effort to examine how we can do better and share best practices with others. The number of acts and regulations to which HHS is subject and in compliance include: • Green Energy Act O. Reg. 397/11 (Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan) • Climate Change Mitigation and LowCarbon Economy Act o. Reg. 144/16 (The Cap and Trade Program) • Environmental Protection Act O. 102/94 (Waste Audits and Waste Reduction Work Plans)
• Environmental Protection Act O. Reg. 103/94 (Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Source Separation Program) • Green Hospital Scorecard (The only comprehensive health care benchmarking tool in Canada that shows a hospital’s performance in five areas: energy, water, waste, pollution prevention and corporate leadership. Participation is voluntary.)
In June 2019, HHS’s environmental sustainability efforts were recognized by Sustainable Hamilton Burlington with the presentation of two awards: • Best Sustainability Report • Best Social Initiative
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About Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton Health Sciences is a community of 15,000 staff, physicians, researchers and volunteers that proudly serves southwestern Ontario residents. We also provide specialized, advanced care to people from across the province. We’re the only hospital in Ontario that cares for all ages, from pre-birth to end-of-life. We offer worldleading expertise in many areas, including cardiac and stroke care, cancer care, palliative care and pediatrics. We are a world-renowned hospital for healthcare research. We focus daily on improving the quality of care for our patients through innovation and evidence-based practices. As the largest employer in the Greater Hamilton region, we play a vital role in training the next generation of health professionals in collaboration with our academic partners, including McMaster University and Mohawk College.
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Message from
Rob MacIsaac President and CEO
Sustainability is a vital pillar in Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) Strategic Plan. It drives the work we undertake to meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve - both today and in the future. Our organization understands that the impact of our operation extends beyond the walls of our facilities and has influence on the health and well-being of the communities and people we serve. With this in mind, throughout 2018, we continued to lead by example in our sector and our region. We took deliberate steps to reduce our environmental footprint and meet our social responsibility to be good stewards of the resources we are provided. This report highlights important work undertaken by our dedicated teams to improve the wellness and safety of our staff, provide an inclusive care environment, and create healing spaces for indigenous patients and their families. Environmentally, we continue with energy retrofits to reduce our overall greenhouse gas emissions. In addition,
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through recycling and food and coffee waste diversion programs, we are improving our waste footprint. We could not realize these accomplishments alone. Sustainable Hamilton Burlington is an important partner in the work. They identify ways to improve our sustainability reporting, and suggest what we can do to make our workplace, our facilities and our communities healthier for all. We are driven by the common goal to leave the world better than we found it. Our work continues, and I am pleased to share this update on the steps we are taking.
Message from
Message from
Kelly Campbell
Michele Leroux
Vice President, Corporate Services
Interim Vice President,
and Capital Development
Human Resources
At HHS, we use sustainable environmental practices across our organization in a transparent and accountable manner. Ethical behaviours, regulatory compliance, and financial accountability drive this pursuit.
Our people are proud of the work they do: the care for our patients, the support they provide each other, and their roles in contributing to the health of our community. At HHS, we want to engage, empower, and enable our people so they can continue to take pride in their work.
In 2018, we strengthened our energy conversation plans and waste diversion efforts, improving and adding to our programs. We introduced new initiatives to help expand our community’s biodiversity by planting pollinator trees and plants. Environmental stewardship at HHS is about continual improvement and always doing more. This report will help readers gain more understanding for how HHS is advancing its commitment to the environment, for current and future generations of Ontarians.
Our 2018 Sustainability Report highlights how we carry that vision through our focus on employee wellness. We are providing spaces and a range of programs to help our people take care of themselves. We have programs that engage staff to be active in ensuring a safe workplace and to support each other. We are also putting an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. We are committed to increasing equitable opportunities and positive experiences for our people so that everyone has the ability to reach their full potential. We do this because people are at the core of everything we do at HHS. We are transforming the workplace for our staff; supporting them so that they can continue to thrive and provide the high quality patient care our hospital is known for.
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HHS uses energy in every aspect of our operations, including running medical equipment and air conditioning. Proper management of energy use, while factoring the economic and environmental parameters at HHS, can help to realign resources to patient care.
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More Projects, More Savings In 2018, the energy and emissions data reflects an overall increase to 2017 reported numbers. The increase from the 2016 baseline year and 2017 is due to the colder winter weather experienced in 2018 (therefore increasing heating load). Steam to Hot Water Boiler Conversion
We replaced two oversized
SITE: SPH
condensing hot water boilers to
ENERGY SAVING IN 2018: 390,000 M3 PER YEAR
reduce heat distribution losses
steam boilers with fully-
and improve thermal efficiency.
EMISSIONS SAVINGS IN 2018: 763.76 TCO2E
Condensate Line Insulation Upgrade
We insulated 4,000 feet of
SITE: MUMC
subbasements to prevent heat
ENERGY SAVING IN 2018: 500,000 M3 PER YEAR
distribution losses.
steam condensate lines in
EMISSIONS SAVINGS IN 2018: 979.18 TCO2E
Domestic Water Booster Pump Replacement
We replaced vintage domestic
SITE: MUMC
three new (20 hp) high efficiency
ENERGY SAVING IN 2018: 284,000 KWH PER YEAR
variable speed pumps.
cold water pumps (60 hp) with
EMISSIONS SAVINGS IN 2018: 14.2 TCO2E
High Efficiency Air Cooled Chiller Installation
We installed a 200 ton high
SITE: HGH
cooled chiller with free cooling
ENERGY SAVING IN 2018: 312,930 KWH PER YEAR
capability to handle clinical
efficiency variable speed air
cooling loads year round.
EMISSIONS SAVINGS IN 2018: 15.65 TCO2E
Legend KWH = kilowatt hour of electricity M3 = cubic meters of natural gas TCO2E = tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
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Cogeneration Independence In 2006, three major HHS sites – JHCC, MUMC and HGH – installed cogeneration plants which use natural gas to produce hot water and electricity with a single process. As a result, HHS has reduced its carbon emissions and demand on the electricity grid by more than 70%.
Energy Consumption Breakdown by Site (2018) Electricity (kWh)
MUMC
Natural Gas (m3) HGH
JHCC
WLMH
SPH 0
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7,500,000
15,000,000
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22,500,000
30,000,000
Did you know? Air conditioning is still used during winter months to cool down equipment like MRI machines and CT scanners.
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Greenhouse gasses are emitted through various operations because of energy use, as well as heatingand-cooling functions. HHS makes many efforts to track, measure and report our emissions and their impacts.
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ns
Measuring Emissions HHS measures the effectiveness of our management approaches by keeping a comprehensive inventory of our emissions through completing carbon and energy audits. This allows us to have standardized data for comparison over the years and provides insight when creating tactics to reach our emission reduction targets.
Scope 1: Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scope 1 emissions are those from sources that are owned or controlled by the organization (eg: Co-Generation Plants). The increase from the 2016 baseline year and 2017 is due to the colder winter weather experienced in 2018 (therefore increasing heating load). This report does not include any information to normalize this data based on heating degree-days, but we would like to include this analysis in future reports.
35,000
2016
30,000 25,000 35,000 20,000 30,000 15,000 25,000 10,000 20,000 5,000 15,000 0 10,000
2017 2016 2018 2017 2018 MUMC
HGH
JHCC
WLMH
SPH
5,000 0 Scope 2: Energy Greenhouse Scope 2 emissions are those MUMCIndirect HGH JHCC GasWLMH SPH which come from the consumption of purchased electricity, steam, or 500 other sources of energy generated upstream from the organization by 2016 central utility services. 400 2017 500 300
2016 2018
400 200
2017
300 100
2018
200 0
MUMC
HGH
JHCC
WLMH
SPH
MUMC
HGH
JHCC
WLMH
SPH
100 0
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Waste is by-product of every aspect of the healthcare services we provide, from building renovations to open heart surgery. It has occupational, environmental, financial, and logistical impacts.
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Waste Volume HHS measures waste intensity according to patient volume. To obtain the waste intensity, we divide the totality of hazardous and non-hazardous waste by the number of inpatient days, giving an accurate picture of hospital waste activity. As shown in the chart below, our average waste intensity has seen a slight increase at the larger sites that have more acute patients. Acuity of patients has been increasing, more waste is generated per patient. NOTE: Due to academic research activities, waste intensity levels appear high at MUMC. In reality, weight of waste created per patient at MUMC is similar to JHCC and HGH. Also, the trend to move to use to single use items for surgical and bedside care continues to increase. The drivers for this are directly related to infection control, but it also results in increased waste volumes. 2018 waste program highlights include: • 43% of waste diverted from landfill • 2% increase since 2016 • 224 metric tonnes of food waste diverted from landfill • 1676 metric tonnes of recycling Waste Diversion Rate 60%
50% 40%
38% Peer Group Average
30% 20%
2016
10%
2017
0%
2018
MUMC
JHCC
HGH
SPH
WLMH
Waste Intensity (KG per Inpatient Day) 20 15 11 Peer Group Average
10 5 0
2018 2016
MUMC
JHCC
HGH
SPH
WLMH
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Biohazardous Waste Biomedical waste is defined per the EPA O. Reg 347 and the C-4 Guidelines for the Management of Biomedical Waste in Ontario, and includes biohazardous sharps waste, anatomical, cytotoxic and pharmaceutical waste. • 56.6% of the bio hazardous waste generated by HHS in 2018 was autoclaved while 43.4% was incinerated • 517.51 metric tonnes of biohazardous waste • 43 metric tonnes of sharps waste, representing 8.46% of all biohazardous waste Autoclave Infectious (Labs) Anatomical Cytotoxic Pharmaceutical Sharps (Autoclave) Sharps (Cytotoxic) Sharps (Pharmaceutical)
Ongoing Waste Reduction Initiatives Nutrition Services Recycling Program After a patient has finished their meal, the entire meal tray (remaining food and packaging) is removed from the patient room and disposed of in the Nutrition Services meal stripping area. Although unconsumed food cannot be redistributed due to food safety standards, the packaging materials can be recycled. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Nutrition Services began recycling and capturing food waste in a green bin program across all locations during the spring and summer of 2017. Each year, Nutrition Services diverts the following from landfill: • 120 metric tonnes of mixed recycling • 65,000lbs of meal shipping trays • 100 metric tonnes of food waste Operating Room Recycling Recycling in Operating Rooms (OR) is often a challenge. The nature of the work performed can lead to contamination; because of this, medical packaging and
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medical materials do not often lend themselves to be recycled. For example, while a lot of the packaging materials used in the OR look like recyclables, they are in fact mixed materials (layers of film and plastic bonded together) that cannot be recycled. In 2017, front line OR staff from the Hamilton General and McMaster University Medical Centre worked with the HHS Waste Management Coordinator to customize educational modules and poster boards for the OR staff. Now, both the Hamilton General and McMaster University ORs are each diverting an additional three to four metric tonnes of recycling from landfills each month. Overall, the OR recycling program helps to divert an additional seven metric tonnes of recycling from landfill each month. In 2018, we became challenged by changes in the recycling market, as there are fewer items that recyclers can accept. We are working with our recycling processor to update the OR recycling guide, but have been recycling at the same rate as 2017.
N E W I N I TI ATI V E
Coffee Grind Diversion Program In 2018, HHS collaborated with our Volunteer Association (VA) to further reduce the volume of food waste sent to landfill. The VA implemented a comprehensive coffee grind diversion program, which has diverted an additional 16.9 metric tonnes of organic material from the landfill. The collection process is simple: as coffee grinds are generated at the cafeterias and coffee shops, the waste is collected into small pails at point of use. The grinds are then dumped into larger green bin collection containers, and collected by our organics partner, Davidson Environmental, to be processed as organic waste.
HGH Barton Bean & Marketplace MUMC Café & Bay West Cafeteria JH Nora’s Cafeteria SPH Cafeteria
Sustainable Coffee Choices Single-Use Device Reprocessing In 2017, HHS enhanced our singleuse device reprocessing program by implementing a new capture system in 2017. This program captures specific devices which would otherwise be single use (such as bits, burrs, blades, energy devices, catheters, etc.) and reprocesses these devices to be purchased at a discounted rate and used again. Across all sites, HHS diverted 3,506 devices in 2018 by following this reuse program.
The VA proudly serves Reunion Island Coffee, a certified USDA Organic, Direct Trade and Rainforest Certified product. In 2018, the VA served over 817,000 cups of this brand, representing 82% of all coffee served. In addition, the VA incentivizes “own cup” coffee purchases, discounting the price by $0.10. In 2018, VA customers brought their own cup 55,000 times.
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Ethics an Integrity 16
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Accountability The Values Based Code of Conduct (VBCC) identifies and outlines the behavioral expectations of its HHS staff members. At the workplace, HHS’ encourages behaviours that are considered appropriate among coworkers and patients. The VBCC highly values the treating of others and oneself with respect. The organization emphasizes all staff members including executives, leaders, employees, professional staff, learners, and volunteers are required to adhere to the guidelines as set forth by the VBCC. The code also provides employees with a five-step resolution process in the event of inappropriate behaviour. The HHS promotes accountability amongst all staff members. The Conflict of Interest Policy provides an ethical guide for HHS staff and representatives to follow. The policy is also intended to provide protection by offering the means to avoid, or resolve, a situation that may put individuals in ethically-questionable situations. In situations where wrongdoing has been observed, the Whistleblowing Protocol provides step-by-step process for providing disclosure. The protocol protects the disclosing person from any form of pressure or reprisals and is respectful of confidentiality. Although the protocol cannot outline every situation, it provides a set of principles, rules and ethical standards as a guide for day to day conduct of business.
Did you know? HHS is piloting Laparoguard, a new technology that allows surgeons to identify and create a safe zone that the surgeon must stay within during laparoscopic procedures. If the instruments unintentionally move out of the safe zone, Laparoguard sends an audio and visual signal to the operating team.
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Employe Welfare 18
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Healthy People It is HHS’ goal to engage, empower, and enable our people to deliver on our mission. This is becoming increasingly challenging due to modern demands of patient care and limited resources. Even so, HHS is committed to supporting our employees in all aspects of their work, and extending those supports to their personal lives to ensure all employees are resilient and are themselves healthy. Our measurements for employee welfare come from a number of places, including: our main HR databases, our safety occurrence reporting databases and our health office. We analyze the data that these databases provide, alongside our biennial engagement survey, to best identify the needs of our employees. This process has led to the development of great programs such as the Behavioral Safety Risk Assessment, all gender washrooms, and enhanced code of conduct policies.
Employee Profile HHS is the largest single employer in the City of Hamilton. Fulltime, part-time, and contract employees make up our total workforce; which is characterized by employees, physicians and residents. Sixty-three percent of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Based on current employee records, the gender composition of our workforce indicates that 77.6% (10,452) of the employees identify as women and 22.3% (3,009) identify as men. However, HHS recognizes that some of our employees identify as trans and gender-diverse.
The Hamilton Early Warning System (HEWS) was developed in 2010 by a team of clinicians at Hamilton General Hospital (HGH) . Because of HEWS, it can be days before one hears a Code Blue at most of the hospital’s acute care sites.
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Wellness Program HHS is committed to supporting the health, safety and well-being of staff, physicians, and volunteers. Our corporate vision, “Best Care for All”, applies to each and every member of the HHS family. Shine (Supporting Health IN Everyone) is HHS’ comprehensive wellness program brings wellness right to the workplace environment and provides support to staff, physicians, and volunteers in leading a healthier lifestyle. Our wellness programs, events and initiatives are comprehensive and include: • On-site wellness centres (free 24/7 access to fitness equipment, massage chairs) • On-site fitness classes (e.g., yoga, pilates, strength, circuits) • On-site massage clinics • On-site in unit/dept programming (e.g., stretch break program) • Employee Assistance Program (free 24/7 access to confidential counselling, consultations, community referrals and resources) • Mental health training and resiliency (e.g. The Working Mind, Mindfulness for Lunch, Stress Reduction Courses, MBSR) • Weight management (e.g. Weight Watchers, Healthy You) • Healthy cafeteria options • Wellness workshops covering a variety of health-related topics (e.g., Lunchtime Sessions) • Contests and challenges (e.g., Quit and Win Contest, etc.) • Smoking cessation support • Employee Gym Discounts • Wellness courses (e.g., Financial Fitness, Chronic Disease Self-Management)
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Parental & Maternity Leave All employees at HHS are entitled to paternity and maternity leave. For paternity and maternity leaves that began in 2018, 418 female and 32 male employees took leave. For leaves that ended in 2018, 332 were female and 31 were male. And, for paternal and maternity leaves that ended in 2018, 302 women and 30 men were still employed twelve months after their return to work.
Occupational Health and Safety All employees at HHS are entitled to the protection of their health and safety. HHS is committed to achieving the highest standard of health and safety for its employees. While the primary obligation for workplace health and safety rests with the employer – supervisors, employees, and unions also have responsibilities for ensuring the protection of employees. HHS supports the Health and Safety of our employees with the following: • Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) operating at all sites • Initiatives such as ‘Safe at Work Campaign” and BSR • Worker Health & Safety Awareness Training or Competent Supervisor Primer which are equivalent to MOL requirements. • WMHIS training • Workplace Violence Prevention training • Annual measurement of effectiveness of our safety managements system, and evaluate the physical conditions through regular risk audits and reviews.
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N EW I N I T I AT I V E
Behavior Safety Risk Communication & Care Plan (BSR) Violence in the workplace is one of the top health and safety concerns facing Ontario’s healthcare sector today. In 2018, HHS launched a program called Behaviour Safety Risk Communication and Care Planning (BSR) at all hospital sites to support staff and meet a requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The purpose of the program is to communicate standard approaches to planning care for the safety and comfort of staff, doctors, and patients when a behaviour safety risk is identified. This helps reduce the risk of harm for everyone. It focuses on two important questions: “What do I need to know to keep the patient calm?” and “What do I need to know to keep myself and my colleagues safe?” It also standardizes screening tools and language across sites and uses visuals such as purple door signs, charting stickers, whiteboard magnets, and patient wristbands to communicate risk. BSR was developed based on evidence from literature, best practices from other hospitals and input from patients and families. A wide range of groups and specialties from across HHS contributed to the work. The program was successfully implemented at Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre (JHCC) in 2018. Surveys with staff and physicians show that since the program launched, their ability to identify patients who present a behaviour safety risk, and to plan for their care, had improved. Over half of respondents said they felt less at risk from patients who displayed violent, aggressive, or responsive behaviour, and felt better supported by the hospital. They also described improved communication among their peers. The program is being implemented across HHS hospital sites throughout 2019.
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Human Rights an Inclusion 24
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Respecting and Empowering Diversity and inclusion is a catalyst for progressive growth and sustainable change. We are building off of our organization successes to build further capacity for a culture of inclusion across the organization. By committing to a diversity and inclusion strategy, our people will acquire new insights and skills to meet the needs of our diverse patients and communities. Having a department dedicated to human rights and inclusion is a strong message to the entire organization that we are committed to addressing barriers. We believe it is greatly important to have a neutral space to bring forward disclosures and empower employees to have difficult conversations. Human Rights and Inclusion partners with the Clinical Ethics Committee and McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences to provide monthly Ethics and Diversity Grand Rounds (EDGR) to our staff, physicians, and allied health. EDGR focuses on current health care trends and ethical questions; engaging staff and physicians to encourage curiosity and to rethink practice options. Sessions have been focused on topics such as: LGBTQ+ health, Ramadan 101, Indigenous Reconciliation, Gender-based Harassment, and more.
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Human Rights and Inclusion also provides Ally in Action training that is principled on antiracism and anti-oppression frameworks. This program explores the various forms of privilege, power, and oppression and how these social concepts intersect to impact marginalized populations. The purpose of this program is to prepare staff to work with, support, and advocate for and with marginalized patient and staff populations. At HHS, we recognize discrimination occurs - it is why we have policies and practices that are principled and provide rigor in investigating, transparency, and fairness. Progressive policy development is evidenced in HHS’ most recent policy for Gender Identity and Gender Expression, which has been guided by the 2017 human rights legislation for trans and genderdiverse populations, and exists to mitigate potential barriers and discrimination that trans and gender-diverse patients, families, visitors, staff, and physicians might experience. Other corporate policies related to Human Rights include: • AODA Integration Policy Link (Accessibility for Ontarians Disabilities Act) • Fragrance Restricted Protocol • Mutual Respect Handbook • Patient Rights and Responsibilities • Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence and Harassment Protocol • The Management of Inpatient Accommodations (Mixed Gender Rooms) • Values Based Code Of Conduct Protocol • Whistleblowing Protocol
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UP COMIN G I N I T I AT I V ES
Trans Inclusive Service & Care Program Human Rights and Inclusion is implementing a Trans Inclusive Service and Care program across all sites. Comprehensive consultations with various community stakeholders were vital to the development and subsequent implementation of the program. Equity-seeking communities were sought out to inform the decision-making process and we engaged with a number of trans and gender diverse staff and community members in the development and implementation of the program. We reached out to and worked with various other community leaders including the Hamilton Trans Health Coalition and Rainbow Health Ontario. The program addresses gaps for trans and gender-diverse staff and patients by ensuring that our environment is inclusive for everyone. The Trans Inclusive Service and Care program includes the following: Gender Identity and Gender Expression Policy with accompanying FAQ To provide guidelines regarding the treatment of all trans, gender-diverse and 2-spirit members of HHS to ensure that they are treated with equity, dignity, and respect and to advance a progressive understanding of the rights set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, as amended on June 15, 2017. Trans Inclusion Guides Trans inclusion guides have been developed for managers to assist with ensuring inclusive interactions with trans people, to support employees transition at work, and for trans employees to navigate systems and processes to transition in the workplace. All Genders Washrooms The introduction of 74 all genders washrooms across eight hospital sites will be rolling out this spring 2019. This is an important step in creating a safe and inclusive environment that gives individuals choice. All gender signage will be affixed to all male and female washrooms across all HHS sites. Everyone has the right to dignity, and access to washrooms to feel safe. This signage is the hospitals commitment to trans human rights and affirming our desire to work towards trans positive healthcare and service.
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Indigenous Care and Service Of any tertiary hospital within Ontario, HHS has the largest population of Indigenous people in its immediate service area. HHS’ Indigenous Care and Service Plan aligns with our goal to provide Best Care for All. It recognizes our responsibility to respond to the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action for Health. HHS’ plan recognizes the need to develop culturally safe health care processes, behaviours, and attitudes among staff and physicians, valuing the presence of Indigenous healing practices alongside traditional western medicine approaches, changes to organization policies and approaches to reduce inequities, and design of environments that are welcoming and inclusive. The Indigenous Care and Services Plan is multifaceted and will take time to accomplish. Examples of some of the near term actions include the following: • Hospital environments and facilities that are culturally welcoming and appropriate (e.g. signs of welcome, spaces and provisions for traditional health practices) •
Staff development through Indigenous Cultural Safety training
•
Embedding cultural safety in operations, and service delivery
•
Recognizing June at HHS as National Indigenous History Month
• Ongoing collaboration with Aboriginal Patient Navigators, who provide Indigenous patients and families culturally specific support during their hospital experiences •
Increased education through Diversity and Ethics grand rounds
•
Recognizing June at HHS as National Indigenous Awareness Month
• Ongoing support to community Aboriginal Navigators, who provide Indigenous patients and families at all of our sites culturally specific support •
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Increased education through Diversity and Ethics grand rounds
H A M I LTO N H E A LT H S C I E N C E S
N EW IN I T I AT I V E
Makayla’s Room In what has been recognized as an important step towards reconciliation, the launch of Makayla’s Room – Mkoonhs Zonghehgii in the Anishnaabe language –offers a quiet space for all patients and families at McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) to retreat, reflect, and to learn about and participate in Aboriginal culture. Amenities include: • • • •
A small kitchenette Comfortable seating Activities for children and families Storage for cultural supplies
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Initiative 30
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HHS Smart Commute, E-Charging Stations, Bike Shelters HHS supports active transit and carpooling as a way to reduce carbon emissions created by our commute to work. We are one of the founding members of the Hamilton Smart Commute program, and achieved Smart Commute Employer of the Year in 2017. Our smart commute 2018 program offers staff: • Promotion of 49 carpooling-designated parking spots at three major sites has led to a 56% increase in carpoolers since 2015 • Secure and weather protected bike parking for staff at five locations • Two E-Charging stations at the Hamilton General • Promotion of Carpool Week, Bike to Work Day, Smart Commute Month and Earth Day • Educational cycling seminars about safety, local laws, and how to share the road with cars 2019 planned initiatives include: • Four new secured bike lockers to be installed at the Hamilton General • A bike path linking Ferguson Street to the bike lockers at the Hamilton General • Reintroduction of the 2017 cost-share model for the So-Bi Bike program (offer a 60% discount for new members on annual memberships)
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Earth Week Celebrations Earth week events and Waste Reduction Week events are hosted annually. Highlights from the 2018 events included: • Pop up Earth Week events hosted on all sites • Over 100 attendees at the main event hosted at the Juravinski Hospital in collaboration with our waste service partners (Waste Connections, Davidson Environmental, Daniels International, Artex, Raw Materials Company) • Battery recycling challenge ran across all sites, engaging over 400 staff on 20 teams. Together, the teams collected 575 kg of batteries from home. • Guided tours of waste dock • Social media campaign on Twitter and Instagram, promoting HHS waste management programs during Earth Week • 14 Native species tree planted at the Hamilton General (Combination of Spruce, Service Berry & Tamarak)
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Tree Planting and Pollinator Gardens Working in collaboration with Trees for Hamilton, a local organization that works with partners across the city to plant native trees, HHS planted fourteen new trees on the Hamilton General property. Native species, including Tamarack, White Spruce, and Serviceberry, were chosen to provide a habitat for beneficial insects and animals. Within the next few years, Trees for Hamilton intends to plant a total of 40 trees on the site. In addition to the newly planted trees, HGH is now also home to a pollinator garden. Pollinator gardens include plants and flowers that attract insects and birds to fertilize plants. By adding a pollinator garden, HGH is joining a local and international movement to create pollinator-friendly spaces. The Hamilton Pollinator Paradise Project worked with hospital staff on this project. 2018 Highlights: • 14 native tree species planted at HGH (Combination of Tamarack, White Spruce, and Serviceberry) • Over 500 pollinator-friendly, native plant species planted, including Butterfly Milkweed, Beebalm, Aster, Black-Eyed Susan and Columbine • Over 15 volunteers
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Community Garden Our Hamilton General Hospital (HGH) and Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) partnered with Hamilton Victory Gardens (HVG) to build a community vegetable garden on the downtown hospital campus. All three partners share a common goal of giving back to the local community. Produce grown in the garden is donated to local food banks and meal programs. This, in turn, helps to mitigate risks related to food insecurity among the vulnerable population we serve. HGH has sent volunteers including some of our ambulating rehab patients to the nearby Cancord Victory Garden. This experience led to the idea of not only building a garden on campus but also to modify the standard garden design to make it fully accessible. The HGH Campus Community Garden consists of 11 garden beds at a variety of heights to accommodate working from a wheelchair as well as standing. 2018 Hamilton General garden highlights:
• 756 lbs of vegetables & herbs donated • 54 volunteers • Over 330 volunteer hours • More than 14 patients and therapists enjoyed the garden
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H A M I LTO N H E A LT H S C I E N C E S
Human and environmental health matters to our people, our patients, and our community.
We are just at the beginning of our sustainability journey. Stay tuned to watch our gardens grow, our people flourish and our community prosper.
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For Further Information: waste@hhsc.ca Published June 2019
Sustainability